


There is Time Enough to Heal

by Captain_Kiri_Storm



Series: Christmas Presents 2k19 [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Healing, M/M, Past Brock Rumlow/Jack Rollins - Freeform, Protective Bucky Barnes, Serious Injuries, Slice of Life, Undercover, caring brock rumlow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Kiri_Storm/pseuds/Captain_Kiri_Storm
Summary: Brock Rumlow didn't expect Winter to find him. He certainly didn't expect Winter to care about what happened to him. He knows it isn't going to last - that Winter will remember who he is and when he does, there's no force on earth that can stop him.Yet, he can't bring himself to send the Soldier away.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Brock Rumlow, James "Bucky" Barnes/Brock Rumlow
Series: Christmas Presents 2k19 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575961
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71





	There is Time Enough to Heal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Velocity_Owl87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/gifts).



Brock woke up someone poking him in the side. He groaned softly, trying to wave him off. It was too goddam early to be up if you asked him. Unfortunately, his bedmate had other ideas. The man poked him again, crouching over Brock's body. Steel blue eyes stared intently into dark brown and the other man bit his bottom lip. He reached over, shaking Brock with his metal arm. Brock rolled over and grabbed the pillow, fully intending to swat the Soldier upside the head and make him go away.

"It's six AM," Brock muttered. "Go back to sleep." He tried to flop back, but Winter caught him and whined. "Go back to sleep. Not falling for those puppy eyes today." Brock closed his eyes and coughed a little. Getting a building dropped on your head tended to mess your body up. Brock had probably inhaled a shit ton of asbestos. Some mornings he coughed up blood. Other mornings, he could barely get up at all. Winter had shown up in his life at a point where he could barely get up in the mornings. He was doing good if he ate a poptart and chicken soup. On the worst days, he could hardly take a shower or change his bandages. Winter, of course, didn't give him the opportunity to sleep his life away and was fond of picking Brock up like he was a doll.

Winter frowned. "It's Christmas."

"Yup." Brock rolled over. Winter rolled him back over and pawed at his shirt. Brock sighed, letting him crawl into the bed and curl up beside him. He was used to being the little spoon. There were worse things than being cuddled by a super soldier. Being sliced up came to mind - Brock had seen that one and cleaned up the mess. He shuddered, trying to calm his racing mind down so he could get back to sleep. "Why don't you just get yourself a bath and eggs? Lemme sleep. _Please_. Go eat your plums, go harass the neighbor's cat, but whatever you do, leave me _alone_."

"But it's Christmas morning. You said..."

"I also told you we were going to Disney World. You see us going to Florida?" Brock asked. "We don't even have a truck. Or a car." Well, one that ran. Brock had bought a Kia Forte off the internet that had major issues for about six hundred dollars. The transmission needed an overhaul. Half the sensors didn't work. The ones that did work didn't talk to the computer. The electrical system had a short and the headlights didn't work. Brock spent as much time as he could working on the thing, though he wondered if he'd bitten off more than he could chew. Winter enjoyed trying to "help" him, though his help usually involved talking and finding tools. It was nice, though. Winter didn't judge him for his past in HYDRA or his face.

Winter grinned softly. "I have a surprise for you," he softly said. He curled his hands around Brock's and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I want you to see it. But you can't see it if you're in bed and you sleep naked." He grinned... but this time it wasn't the soft, sweet grin he usually had. This was the grin Winter got before he did something. Winter hooked his hands under Brock's blankets and tossed them off. Brock yelled at the cold, only for Winter to throw his jeans in Brock's general direction, followed by his shirt and shoes.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Brock yelled. "Mercy!" He rolled out of bed, cursing as his feet hit the cold floor, and swiped the rest of his clothes from a grinning Winter. "Anyone ever tell you you were a pain in the ass?"

Winter cocked his head. "I don't remember."

"Of course," Brock sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, decided it was too much work for him to brush it, and stumbled towards the kitchen. Winter followed him. He'd tied his brown hair back and going by the lack of stubble, he'd had a bath. Winter looked good - much better than Brock. Brock just rubbed his eyes and stumbled through the kitchen. Winter had gotten the cookies out, along with orange juice, and even made a fresh pot of coffee. Brock thanked the man wordlessly as he got the first cup of many. Brock was a coffee addict. Winter liked fruit juice and healthy things - Brock liked eating junk after years of lean protein and low carbs. Somehow, they got along.

"Presents?" Winter asked. He perched on the table, his blue eyes bright. He tapped his foot against the tiles and seemed to vibrate some. "Presents? Brock see Winter's present?"

"Fine." Brock sighed and followed Winter into the living room. The sad little tree he'd bought from the arts and craft store lit up the room, complete with Winter's handmade ornaments and the ones Brock had bought from Wal-Mart. His family hadn't celebrated Christmas for bullshit religious reasons and he'd never had time when he was with STRIKE. Now he had all the time in the world, but he had to admit he knew nothing about the holiday. Winter seemed to like the tree, though his taste in ornaments ranged towards blue and white rather than red and green. Brock didn't know and didn't care to ask. Winter sat himself down beside the tree and grabbed for his presents. Brock had gotten him some much needed clothing, along with a tool set of his own so he wouldn't stop stealing Brock's.

"Thank you!" Winter bounded up and grabbed Brock in a bone crushing hug. Brock grunted some, not wanting his ribs crushed again. Winter gave him a happy smile, nuzzling Brock's neck and chin. "I got you something. Wanna see?"

"Sure," Brock sighed. He raised an eyebrow when Winter tried to pull him towards the garage. Winter had a habit of picking the trash to find weird things. His section of the house was furnished with junkyard picked antiques. Brock generally didn't care, though he didn't enjoy helping Winter strip and paint the old shit he found. Winter liked glass things, too. The house was starting to be filled with all sorts of knickknacks and trinkets that Winter picked out of antique shops and trash piles. Brock let him. He needed to get out of the house and selling some of their finds on Craigslist paid the bills. It was nice to be legal for once. They didn't have to worry about the cops and no one blinked when Brock told them he stepped on an IED.

Winter opened the garage and helped Brock get down the brick stairs. "I fixed it for you!"

Brock blinked as he looked at his car. "You... what?"

"I fixed your car!" Winter bounced up and down, shoving the keys to Brock's beater in his hands. "I fixed it like I used to fix things before. Stevie helped me, but I knew how to fix stuff. I used to be good at it!"

Brock's jaw dropped as he circled his second biggest headache. Going by the tools scattered around and the piles of boxes and bubble wrap, Winter had either fixed the car or he'd wrecked it so that no one could ever drive it again. He tested a few things out and started it, only for the engine to purr instead of make an ominous rattle. "Winter... how?"

"Russia." Winter lowered his head and thought. "My name is.... Stevie called me Bucky. Will you call me Bucky instead of Winter? I don't like Winter. Winter makes me feel cold."

"Alright, Bucky," Brock softly said. He pressed a kiss to Bucky's cheek, trying to keep calm. His voice was rough with unshed tears. "Thank you."

"Now what was this about Disney World?" Bucky teased. He hugged Brock close to him, his eyes bright for the first time in days. He touched Brock's face with a gentle hand, his eyes happy and calm instead of scared and dull. "Thank you. Thank you for not kicking me out."

"Hey, as long as you want..." Brock said. He helped Bucky back inside and got himself another cup of coffee. "You make good coffee, you know."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "And you make a good pillow. Now move over - I wanna watch _A Christmas Prince_."

Brock sighed and obliged the man, letting Bucky curl into his side. He stroked the man's head, smiling despite himself. He had to admit, it felt good to be loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas!


End file.
